History Crash Course #44: The Jews of Spain

Spain was the Medieval golden land of opportunity for Jews.

As the armies of Islam conquered larger and larger swaths of Europe, the Jews of the Middle East saw new opportunities opening up for them in Muslim Europe.

One of the best opportunities proved to be Spain, starting with the Muslim conquest of 711. Indeed, things were so good for Jews there, that to this day, half the Jewish world is known as Sephardi meaning "Spanish." (The other half would later become known as Ashkenazi, meaning "German.") (1)

In the Muslim Spain, Jews found a symbiotic relationship emerging between them and the non-Jewish world that surrounded them.

So for one thing, the Muslims impacted on the Jews. Some of the greatest Jewish scholars wrote in Arabic. But the impact was much greater the other way around. Indeed there can be no question that the Islamic world, especially in Spain, did remarkably well because of the large number of Jews who were allowed to operate freely there. The positive impact of the Jews of Moslem Spain is yet another example of the fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis: "I will bless you and make your name great. You shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. (Genesis 12:2-3) To quote the great Jewish historian Cecil Roth:

The essential contribution of the Jews, as Jews, to the cultural life of the medieval world, and of medieval Europe in particular depended basically upon two factors. They were literate: and they were international... Their work as intermediaries between the two mutually-exclusive cultural worlds [Moslem and Christian] was without any doubt the characteristic Jewish function in the Middle Ages: it was a function that they performed by virtue of their specific position and circumstances as Jews. That did not however preclude them from making memorable contributions to European civilization as individuals. (2)

Jewish Contributions

The Jewish contributions came in every sphere ― whether economic or intellectual. For example:

Jews excelled in skilled crafts.
Jews were excellent tanners, metalworkers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, and jewelers. (We see some of these skills surviving today. Yemenite Jews continue their reputation as silversmiths and Jewish diamond merchants are famous the world over.)

Jews excelled in the sciences, particularly in medicine.
Jewish doctors were everywhere, among the most famous was Maimonides (who we will speak about later) and Hasdai ibn Shaprut, the 10th century physician to two caliphs who was considered one of the most influential people in Spain.

Jews excelled in trade.
Jews were the middlemen between the Muslim and Christian worlds, which at this time were engaged in huge rivalry and were not communicating directly with each other. As a result Jews became traders who covered the Far East, the Middle East, and Europe.

Jews excelled in scholarship.
The Muslims were fascinated by classical knowledge, but since they did not know either Greek or Latin, the Jews came in to fill the gap translating these works into Arabic. The Jews also helped to disseminate Arabic scholarship and much of the classical scholarship of the ancient world (much of which had been lost after the collapse of the Roman Empire) to Christian Europe translating Arabic texts first into Hebrew, then sending these translated texts to Europe, where other Jews translated the Hebrew into Latin ― the language of the Roman Empire that was still the language of scholarship in Western Europe.

Writers and Philosophers

Some of the greatest Jewish writers and philosophers came from this time period. Three deserve special mention:

Bachya ibn Pakuda, the famed moralist who authored Duties of the Heart (a book that continues to be a highly popular text in Jewish ethical studies today), examining the obligations of one's inner life and presenting a system to assess one's true religious commitment.

Judah HaLevi, the famed author of The Kuzari, a philosophical novel based on the story of the king of Khazaria, a kingdom located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. (In the 8th century the king of Khazaria, undecided whether he should affiliate with the Christians or Muslims, had great scholars argue before him the merits of the world's religions, and as a result of this debate converted to Judaism as eventually did a goodly portion of his country; the history of Khazaria ended in 11th century when it was destroyed by a Byzantine/Russian coalition.) Basing himself on this reportedly true story, Judah HaLevi imaginatively recreated the debate before the king in his novel, which continues to be popular to this day.

The Jewish paradise in Spain ended abruptly when a cruel Muslim Berber Dynasty ― Almohades ― came to power in the 12th century. When Almohades seized southern Spain, they gave the Jews three choices: covert to Islam, leave, or die.

Of the many Jews fleeing Spain at this time was none other than the famed Maimonides (often known as Rambam, the acronym of his full name, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, Moses the son of Maimom).

(Incidentally, you may have noticed that so many of the famous Jews were known by their acronyms. This is because Jews up until this time did not have last names. While Sephardic Jews started taking last names more than 500 years ago most Ashkenazi Jews did not use last names until forced to by Christian authorities around the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Jews were traditionally known by their first names and their father's names, sometimes by their tribal names, such as Cohen or Levi, or places of their origin (i.e. Toledano from Toledo in Spain), and therefore, it was easier to shorten so many words to an acronym.)

Maimonides

Maimonides was born Moses ben Maimon on the eve of Passover in 1135 in Cordoba, Spain, to a prominent rabbinical family. In his family tree figured King David and Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, who had compiled the Mishnah (as we saw in Part 39).

His primary teacher was his father, Rabbi Maimon ben Joseph, a Jewish judge, who taught him not only the Talmud, but also the fundamentals of mathematics, astronomy and philosophy.

Maimonides was only 13 when his family was forced to leave Spain. After wandering homeless for many years ― wanderings during which his father died ― Maimonides and his brother David finally settled in Fustat near Cairo, Egypt. There Maimonides continued his Torah studies, while his brother David, a dealer in gems, supported the family. When David perished in a sea voyage in 1166, the burden fell on Maimonides.

Maimonides refused to make money from his Torah knowledge, and therefore, in order to earn a living, he became a physician having begun his study of medicine years earlier while living in Fez. Within a short time, he was so famous as a healer that he was appointed physician to the Court of Sultan Saladin in Cairo. He was also appointed the chief rabbi of Cairo.

In addition to being a famous doctor and healer, Maimonides was a prolific writer. Of his voluminous works ― most of which were composed in Arabic but written with Hebrew characters ― four stand out as perhaps the most famous:

Commentary on the Mishnah ― his explanation of the Mishnah

Mishneh Torah – His greatest accomplishment ― A monumental compendium covering all of the Oral Law and Halacha (it's also known as Yad Hazakah)

Guide to the Perplexed – written in Arabic. This philosophical treatise discusses traditional Jewish thought in comparison to classical Greek philosophy, and is considered the single greatest philosophical work ever produced by a Jew.

Discourse on the World to Come ― his explanation of the Messianic Age which includes the 13 Principles of Faith (this discourse is contained in his introduction to Tractate Sanhedrin 10:1)

(For translations of key excerpts from Maimonides' seminal works see The Essential Maimonides by Avraham Yaakov Finkel.)

During his time some of the writings of Maimonides proved highly controversial. Some of his statements were deemed too radical, others were simply misunderstood. At one point, his works were banned, and after his death in 1204, burned at the instigation of the rabbis.

However, when nine years later, the French king Louis IX ordered the Talmud burned, Jews interpreted this as a "measure-for-measure" punishment from God for the burning of the works of Maimonides. Indeed, the rabbi who instigated the ban and burning, Rabbi Jonah Gerondi, subsequently repented for doing so and authored the book Sha'arei Teshuva, "Gates of Repentance," as a form of atonement for his derogatory statements about Maimonides.

Today the works of Maimonides are universally accepted and revered. Indeed, Maimonides is known in the Jewish world as one of most important of the Rishonim or "the First Ones."

This group of Jewish sages follows those we have previously discussed: the Tanaim or "Teachers" (200 BCE to 100 CE) who are quoted in the Mishnah; the Amoraim or "Explainers" (200 to 500), who are quoted in the Gemara; and the Gaonim or "Geniuses" (500 to 1038) who were the masters of the post-Talmudic Babylonian academies. The Rishonim (1038 to 1440) added significantly to Jewish scholarship.

In addition to Maimonides, among the most famous of the Rishonim was the French rabbi, Solomon ben Isaac, known the world over by his acronym ― Rashi.

Rashi

A question may be asked here, how did Jews end up in France? First of all, some Jews settled already some 1,000 years earlier in the far-flung outposts of the Roman Empire. But for a long time these Jewish settlements were small. The expansion came through some interesting quirks of fate.

Jewish tradition has it that in the 8th century Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, seeing how helpful Jews were to the Muslims, asked the caliph to send him a few rabbis, knowing that once he had rabbis more Jews would follow.

Additionally, Jews were frequently kidnapped by pirates who knew that their fellow Jews would pay handsomely to redeem them. There is the legend of the four captives, rabbis from the Babylonian community, each of whom was ransomed by a different Jewish community. According to the legend a small group of French Jews put up a lot of money to redeem Rabbi Nosson HaBavli in just such circumstances on the condition that he come and start a yeshiva in their community in France ― which he did.(3)

Rashi, the most famous of the French rabbis was born Solomon Ben Isaac in 1040 in France, though he was sent to study in a yeshiva in Germany.

After he completed his studies, Rashi returned to France and settled in his hometown of Troyes. Just like Maimonides, he refused to make money from his Torah knowledge, earning a living instead from several vineyards that he owned.

Rashi had an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of the Oral and Written Law. He took it upon himself to answer some of the most obvious questions that come up when reading the text of the Tanach (the 24 Books of the Hebrew Bible). This is why today so many editions of the Torah include his explanations alongside the text.

Another thing that Rashi did was to write a commentary on the entire Babylonian Talmud. Today this commentary appears on the "inner" margin of virtually every Talmudic page. We find his explanations indispensable because as we move further and further away from Mount Sinai, it becomes harder and harder to understand the nuances of Jewish law.

Rashi did not have sons, but he did have two very famous daughters, Miriam and Yocheved, whom he educated in the Talmud. Rashi's daughters married great scholars and fathered great scholars. Rashi's sons-in-law, his students, and his descendants became part of a group of scholars that is known as the Ba'alei HaTosefot, meaning "Masters of Addition." The Ba'alei HaTosefot added commentary to the Talmud which is featured on the "outer" margin of every Talmudic page. The best known of this group is Rashi's grandson, Rabbi Jacob ben Meir, also known as Rabbeinu Ta'am.

Rashi lived until 1105 and he survived the first Crusade, which saw the slaughter of about 30% of the Jews of Europe.

According to Jewish tradition, he met one of the leaders of the Crusade, the Norman nobleman Godfrey de Bouillon. As Godfrey embarked on the Crusade to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims, Rashi told him that he would succeed but that he would come back home with only two horses. In response, Godfrey vowed that if Rashi's prediction was wrong, he'd kill him upon his return.

As it happened, Godfrey came back home from the Crusade with only three horses, but as he entered the archway to the city of Troyes, the center stone of the arch fell and killed one of them.

Next we will see just what role Godfrey de Bouillon played in the Crusades and how this shameful period in history came about.

It is far beyond the scope of this overview to discuss the dozens of great Rabbinic personalities who lived between the 11th and 15th centuries. Despite this being one of the most difficult periods of time in Jewish history, the 400 year period of the Rishonim (which more of less corresponds to the late Middle Ages) was one of the greatest periods of Torah scholarship. The impact of the Rishonim was monumental and, together with the Rabbis who created the Talmud, they played a pivotal role in the transmitting the Torah and shaping the law and practice of Diaspora Judaism.

1) While the term Sephardi is often used to categorize all Jews who came from the Middle East/Moslem world, the term is not really accurate. Many of these communities have little or no connection historically with the Jews of Spain i.e. Persian Jews, Yemenite Jews etc. The more accurate term would be Edot HaMizrach or "communities of the East" which would cover all non-Ashkenazi Jewish communities.
2) Dagobert D. Runes ed., The Hebrew Impact on Civilization. (New York, 1951), pp. 349-356.
3) The story is assumed to a legend and the actual creator of the first Yeshiva in France was probably Rabbeinu Gershom Me'or HaGaolah (965-1040). While this actual story may not be factually accurate, it does reflect the grim reality of kidnap and ransom which was an unfortunate feature of Jewish life during this period.

About the Author

Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. He lives near Jerusalem with his wife and five children, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem.

In one volume, Crash Course in Jewish History explores the 4,000 years of Jewish existence while answering the great questions: Why have the Jewish people been so unique, so impactful, yet so hated and so relentlessly persecuted?

Crash Course in Jewish History is not only comprehensive and readable, it is also entertaining and enlightening. Novices and scholars alike will find Crash Course in Jewish History to be thought-provoking and insightful, as well as a valuable and relevant guide to understanding the challenges we all face in the 21st century.

Visitor Comments: 28

My first name is Jewish my last name is Spanish. I can relate to this article.

(27)
Ralph Ramirez,
September 24, 2010 1:36 AM

Great Insight into an important part of History

I have read many articles and books on Spanish Jewry. I find it fascinating. I have always know of the Sepharidic influence in Spanish culture. I continue to research and want to find more ...I am of Puerto Rican birth and my dad was also a student of history and told me that he always felt we had sephardic in us...

(26)
Ana Cuebas,
July 21, 2010 3:58 AM

Indeed, I agree with Orlando Jimenez. With our military participation in Operation Enduring Freedom, many puertorican soldiers have discovered the awesome physical and cultural similarities with jews and muslim. Our race is also mixed with Africans but our history background key lies in the heart of Sephardic ancestry.

(25)
Euan Nesbitt,
June 6, 2010 12:44 PM

I came across this site looking for information for a history essay on discrimination. I am looking at the discrimination and eviction of Jews in Middle-Aged Spain, and found this site very useful... Although not a Jew myself, I recently read 'The Chosen', a book that opened my eyes towards Jews... Thank you very much!

(24)
orlando jimenez,
April 29, 2010 11:57 PM

Incredible that this topic ins't covered in depth in our history books. I am from Puerto Rico and many of us have great love for Israel and its people. I am also fascinated by the fact that many Puerto ricans have Sephardic ancestry. Also that many surnames ending in ez or es may have sephardic origins. This can explain why so many Puerto rican men are named Israel and Abraham and many carry the star of David.

(23)
Lakia,
December 16, 2008 11:56 AM

wow

I didnt know this much about Jews in Spain until I read this. I have a whole new veiw of things...

(22)
michael braff,
June 15, 2008 10:51 AM

our heritage

Thank you Rabbi for a fantastic insight into our history.The text is informative and inspiring,written in a easy to grasp syle.Everyday I read a chapterand spend a short time afterwards pondering over the period.This is a real gem and extremely uplifting.Thanks again.

(21)
true peaceseeker,
March 2, 2008 1:46 PM

Wonderful , informative site

I have just discovered your site and wish to convey my appreciation. I have been looking for more accurate history of the many persecutions the Jews have suffered throughout time.I am also looking for a book published I believe two years ago? covering Jewish"migration" in the middle ages.Thank you, I will refer your site to others.

(20)
Thomas Sebastian,
October 18, 2007 5:53 AM

Thank You Very Much

Dear Respected Rabbi These work of yours is very informative It is also very inspiring Much of this period is unfamiliar to me Let me Thank You Very Much

(19)
Anonymous,
October 10, 2007 11:51 AM

Appreciation for your summation

I am passing on this excellent review tto my friends...of Jewish/Moslem relationship at one time in medieval history when how differently the Moslems interpreted their Bible.

(18)
geoffrey Max Mordecai,
October 10, 2007 1:53 AM

Work like this is a major contribution to the geula

I've just asked all my relatives- jews and non jews to subscribe to your sight and I've already been sending them the historical articles. They all like them even the "aphikurses". Your quality will bring market volume and market volume success and additional capital for further improvements happy new year kol ha kavod!

(17)
Grace Fishenfeld,
October 7, 2007 7:48 AM

Brilliance and Clarity.

Thank you Rabbi for this passage. I have read it a few times and appreciate learning about the many Rabbis who have made it so wonderful to be part of a great people. I read about Rashi and his respect for his daughters. No wonder why they married scholars who added to our body of understanding. Even in terrible times, Jewish scholarship works to transcend ordeals and make life better. Maimonides, and his family had to escape tryany many times while suffering personal losses. His studies and writting went on in the service of community wherever he went.

We are fortunate to be able to enjoy and learn from the Rishonim who hand down to us their brilliance. During some of the the worst 400 years of persecution, their minds light the darkened path of a dispersed people, which kept us as One.

(16)
RabbiAryehMoshen,
October 10, 2006 2:04 PM

Correction to how the Ashkenazim started

It would appear that the majority of early Ashkenazim were descendant of the Jews who had lived on the Italian pen. for hundreds of years and not the result of a few rabbis coming to Frankreich from Spain. Note that some of the authors of Ashkenazic Piyut had lived in such cities as Lucca and Bari. It is more likely that these "Italian" Jews migrated to the German and French cities as a result of their import/export and money lending business ventures

(15)
Menashe Kaltmann,
October 12, 2003 12:00 AM

The Letters of The Rambam Tz'l

A Good article Rabbi Spira. Well done again!
It is noteworthy to mention that The Rambam carried on an extensive correspondence with many Jewish Communities and individuals. These letters or "Igrot" ( or in English "epistles" ) are priceless as they show the very good heart of The Rambam his concern for the individual Jew and his concern for the Jewish Community. They also show The Rambam's incredible Torah knowledge.
Many of these letters are Jewish "Classics" full of concern and Torah knowledge.
The Igeret HaTeiman The letter The Rambam wrote to the Jewish Community in Yemen and how they should deal with the terrible persecutions that had befallen them earned The Rambam a special love with all Yeminite Jews. Moreover The Iggeret HaShmad The Rambam's letter to the Jews of Morocco is full of encouragement and practical Halachic advice on how to deal with then persecution by the fantaical Alohmade who ruled Morocco and Spain at that time.

The letters he sent to his student R. Yosef of Baghdad became the basis for The Moreh Nevuchim "The Guide For the Perplexed".

The greatness of The Rambam and his love of all Jews cannot be understated.

(14)
Anonymous,
August 18, 2003 12:00 AM

muy bueno!!
excelente!
everyday a learn a lot about my history coz im jew, i live in Honduras, we have just 2 synagoge, and is a very small hebrew family , so i learn a lot whit this web site. thank you...shalom!!

(13)
jeffrey camson,
May 21, 2003 12:00 AM

The Spanish Inquisition

I just finished reading The Ghost of Hannah by Naomi Ragen- It moved me very much.- our past is something to be treasured -we are indeed fortunate to be born Jews.

(12)
Anonymous,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

It is great .

I wish you keep up the good work.
Thank You.

(11)
Anonymous,
May 14, 2002 12:00 AM

Most informative historical site on the web

extremely well informed and written thankyou very much Rabbi Ken Spiro...fascinating

(10)
Tom Tozer,
April 5, 2002 12:00 AM

Godfrey died in Jerusalem and never returned from the Crusades

Godfrey of Bouillon did not return from the Crusades, but was elected defender of the Holy Sepulchre, and died a year later in Jerusalem. It's somewhat beside the point, but there you go.

(9)
moshe tepfer,
December 26, 2001 12:00 AM

On how jews arived in France

There is a verse towards the end of Obadiah that mentions "the exiles...in Tzafas..." Tzarfas is the modern Hebrew word for France, and the comentators say that it does indeed refer to France. Additionally, the comentators on that verse say that Jews were sent there at a very early date. There is also a specific reference to the province of Almania in the comentators.

(8)
John Ecob,
December 24, 2001 12:00 AM

Absolutely brilliant - the entire series- just what I've been wanting

Many many thanks

(7)
Naftoli Sanders,
December 3, 2001 12:00 AM

You are MAGNIFICIENT!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your magnificient contribution to Yiddishkite on the world wide web

(6)
Anonymous,
October 18, 2001 12:00 AM

very thorough

i found the details resulting from thorough research quite helpful

(5)
JENNIFER RUDNER,
September 13, 2001 12:00 AM

CRASH COURSE IN JEWISH HISTORY

I have found these "lessons" so, so informative. I look forward to reading them. I live in South Africa amongst a very traditional observant Jew. Yet, these are things I have not been taught.

(4)
Anonymous,
September 10, 2001 12:00 AM

Excellent

I have really enjoy reading your crash courses
in Jewish History. They are excellent
very understantable and very easy to read. Congratulations and Shana Tova.

(3)
Anonymous,
September 10, 2001 12:00 AM

I was so touched as I read that I wept and wept, maybe because I too have no sons but daughters who have sons. a few of whom love G-d.

(2)
Paulina Gamus,
September 9, 2001 12:00 AM

Excellent,

It's a very interesting article.

(1)
Jeff Stevenson,
September 9, 2001 12:00 AM

Jewish History is so interesting

This is so interesting the Torah knowledge, explanation and why names are the way they are I did not know about the use of last names until forced to by Christian tax collectors. Jews were known by their first names and their father's names.
Thank You,
Jeff

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...